Seeing that the vice dean had gradually calmed down, the old man from the East laughed and said, "You actually threatened and intimidated a junior, hehe... But that scoundrel is really despicable, constantly provoking my granddaughter. I really want to give him another beating."
"Alright, old man Dongfang, that's enough of the act. You've already scared him pretty badly today. Hehe, with the few decent students from our academy and this kid, we should be able to win this warm-up match... 500,000 gold coins!"
"You old fogies, as deans of various colleges, actually placed bets in the students' warm-up matches. If word gets out, the four colleges will be utterly disgraced."
The vice dean laughed and said, "What's the point of a competition without a prize? Besides, I'm also creating wealth for the academy!"
"What if we lose?"
"Impossible. The top students won't appear in the warm-up matches. Those old guys are greedier than me. They all hope to win the final competition three months later and get a million gold coins."
The old man from the East exclaimed in surprise, "What? You've also placed bets on the major competition three months from now?"
"Of course, so we can only win, not lose."
The old man from the East stammered, "You... are supposed to be teachers... Bah!"
The vice dean said, "Old man Dongfang, don't talk nonsense."
The old man from the East asked, "By the way, what do you think about that kid being able to draw Hou Yi's bow?"
"It's hard to say, we need to understand it gradually, and we can't draw any conclusions yet." The vice dean then walked around the room and said, "A remark that kid made unintentionally today has given me an idea."
"Oh, what did you say?"
"It's a bit strange that Holy Dragon Amy refuses to leave the academy."
The old man from the East chuckled, "Did Amy give you a beating today and you're still upset? Why are you thinking such wild thoughts?"
"How could that be? You're being far too unrealistic!"
The vice dean said seriously, "After the Holy Dragon Knights of each generation die, their Holy Dragons will return to the mountains. Amy is very likely the Holy Dragon that returned to the deep mountains a thousand years ago, and it just so happens to be discovered by that senior in the academy and brought back to the Divine Wind Academy."
The old man from the East said, "I have also read the academy's history in detail. Amy's appearance does resemble that of the holy dragon from a thousand years ago, but their personalities are completely different. According to historical records, the holy dragon from a thousand years ago was extremely intelligent, while Amy has the mind of a child. The two are very different."
The vice dean said, "But Amy really has a special feeling for the academy. Judging from her usual behavior, it seems that she really lived here."
The old man from the East said, "If it is the sacred dragon from a thousand years ago, something must have happened to it in the past thousand years. Its strength seems to have reached the highest level of a sacred dragon, but its temperament... sigh, it is truly unfathomable."
The vice-dean sighed, "This fellow is a real headache. If this continues, it'll devour all the precious ginseng and mushrooms in the warehouse. Why did that senior have to encounter it? Why did they bring this little devil back? It's truly a great misfortune for Shenfeng Academy!"
Last time, Chen Nan was surrounded and attacked after leaving the vice dean's place. This time, although he didn't find anyone lying in ambush in the academy, he was still somewhat uneasy. Dongfang Fenghuang hated him to the core at this moment. If she found out that he was in Shenfeng Academy, she would definitely come to fight him to the death.
On his way out, many students looked at him with strange eyes and whispered behind his back. Chen Nan could guess what they were talking about without even thinking.
He's now a notorious figure at Kamikaze Academy, his reputation utterly ruined; everything about him is negative. When he smiled at a beautiful girl, he immediately received a huge eye roll and a soft rebuke: "Pervert."
"A kind smile was mistaken for a pervert. I... I guess I'll just have to keep a straight face."
As Chen Nan approached the academy gate, he suddenly sensed something was amiss. The students seemed too concentrated, and many of them appeared to be watching a spectacle with expressions of amusement.
"You scoundrel, you've finally come out. I've been waiting for you for so long."
Chen Nan groaned in despair, while Dongfang Fenghuang, her face frosty, emerged from a moon gate not far away. The little princess, carrying Xiaoyu, followed beside them with a grin, along with a dozen or so other girls.
"So it's the incomparably beautiful and exceptionally intelligent Miss Dongfang. Is there something you need?"
Dongfang Fenghuang gritted her teeth and said, "Damn scoundrel, stop with the smirking. You know why I came looking for you? Today, I'll fight you to the death."
"Wait, Sister Phoenix, I have something to say." The little princess stepped forward and said, "You scoundrel, you stole 50,000 gold coins from me, give them back to me now."
"This..." Chen Nan was speechless for a moment. At this time, the young princess was asking him to repay the money, which would only make things worse and was obviously kicking someone when they were down. If he could repay the money, that would be fine, but right now he only had a little over a hundred gold coins on him.
"Little sister, it's not safe for you to keep so much money. Didn't we agree that I would keep it for you and give it to you whenever you need it?"
"Pah! Who's your sister? You're the one who stole that money; I never asked you to keep it." The little princess glared angrily, her face full of resentment. "Give it back to me right now! I don't have a single penny on me. My sister Phoenix pays for my meals every day."
Chen Nan reached into his pocket, pulled out a few gold coins, and said, "Take these and spend them first."
The onlookers burst into laughter. They never expected that the brother, who held tens of thousands of gold coins in his hands, would produce such a small amount. They truly couldn't understand what was going on with this strange brother and sister. Every time the two siblings were together, they would quarrel and bicker, acting nothing like siblings.
The little princess's face turned ashen with anger. She bit her lower lip and said, "You scoundrel, are you trying to deny it? Humph, if you don't give me back my money, you're not leaving here today."
Looking at the angry little princess, the menacing Eastern Phoenix, and the onlookers with unfriendly expressions, Chen Nan said, "Alright, I'll tell you the truth. Your 50,000 gold coins were extorted by that despicable and shameless vice dean."
"I don't believe it!"
At this moment, Dongfang Fenghuang stepped forward and said, "Little troublemaker, please step back. This guy is clearly trying to deny it. How could the Dean do such a thing? The only way to deal with such a despicable scoundrel is to use force."
At this moment, the magical prodigy girl's face was filled with anger, and her beautiful face was covered with frost.
Chen Nan realized that things were going badly and tried to escape, but he found that the onlookers had intentionally or unintentionally blocked his way.
"Miss Dongfang, I thought our feud had been resolved. Before our last duel, didn't you say that you wouldn't bother me anymore if I won? Why are you blocking my way today?"
For days, rumors about Chen Nan and Dongfang Fenghuang had been circulating, leaving Dongfang Fenghuang in a sorry state. Last time, she thought it was a duel she was sure to win, but in the end, she was defeated by Chen Nan and even dragged down from the sky by him, which made her feel extremely ashamed and indignant.
These past few days, she had been burning with rage and had wanted to seek revenge on Chen Nan many times, but each time her grandfather, the Old Man Dongfang, had stopped her. Today, upon learning that Chen Nan had arrived at Shenfeng Academy, she immediately led a group of friends and waited at the academy gate early in the morning.
"You shameless scoundrel! Even tearing you to pieces wouldn't quell my hatred!" Dongfang Fenghuang was extremely agitated; the blue veins in her right hand, gripping the purple jade magic wand so tightly they were clearly visible. She composed herself slightly and said, "That's right, you won last time. Today, I'm not here to cause you trouble; I'm here to challenge you to a duel."
"This...is that okay?" Chen Nan was speechless. Wasn't this just asking for trouble?
"Miss Dongfang, you still want to duel with me? But... you don't seem to be my match. Is there any need for us to continue?" Chen Nan knew that this trouble was inevitable, so he put on an expression that was sure to infuriate people and deliberately showed a contemptuous attitude towards Dongfang Fenghuang.
Dongfang Fenghuang was furious: "Ah... you scoundrel, you succeeded in ambushing me last time, but I will never give you another chance this time. I will definitely kill you."
When the time came, Chen Nan calmed down and said unhurriedly, "This is just a duel that you proposed unilaterally. I haven't agreed yet."
The Eastern Phoenix retorted, "You have no choice. If you don't fight me, I won't let you leave."
Chen Nan said, "I don't want to fight people for no reason. Last time I dueled you to stop being hunted down. What for this time? How about we add a wager? The winner should get something. What do you think?"
Dongfang Fenghuang nodded and said, "Alright, if I lose, I will never ask you for those 50,000 gold coins again, little trouble."
The little princess immediately protested, "No, Sister Phoenix, although we are as close as sisters, you can't gamble with my property."
Dongfang Fenghuang retorted angrily, "Do you think I can't beat him? This time, I guarantee I'll kill him."
The little princess muttered to herself, "You lost to him last time, and this time..."
Dongfang Fenghuang said, "Little troublemaker, what are you muttering about? Don't you trust me?"
The little princess shook her head and said, "Of course I believe you, but... I still disagree."
"Because...because..."
"Why? Do you agree or not?"
"Sister Phoenix, isn't a bet of 50,000 gold coins a bit too high? Let's take a look at the bet before making a decision."
Seeing the cunning little princess making excuses, Chen Nan smiled and said, "My sister doesn't want you to waste tens of thousands of gold coins. Although we are siblings, we always keep clear accounts when it comes to property matters."
"Don't be so arrogant, you scoundrel. You're dead this time." Then, Dongfang Fenghuang turned to the little princess and said, "Do you really think I'll lose to him?"
The little princess exclaimed, "Of course not! You know this guy isn't my brother at all. He's the most shameless and despicable person ever!"
Dongfang Fenghuang said coldly, "You scoundrel, what's your wager?"
Chen Nan felt around and took out the few gold coins from his pocket, saying, "This is all the money I have..."
The onlookers burst into laughter again. The other party was willing to wager 50,000 gold coins, but he only took out a few gold coins, which was really disproportionate.
Dongfang Fenghuang said angrily, "How dare you mock me..."
"It's a misunderstanding. I had no intention of teasing you. I really only have these few gold coins on me."
Dongfang Fenghuang coldly said, "I think you'd better gamble with your life. Otherwise, even after I defeat you, I won't let you go. Just use your life as the stake."
Chen Nan said, "How can that be? I'm betting my life, what are you betting?"
Dongfang Fenghuang declared, "I'll also swear on my life; today, it's a fight to the death!"
The atmosphere immediately became tense, and more and more students came after hearing the news, completely surrounding the area, and the number of people continued to increase.
Among the crowd were many of Dongfang Fenghuang's most fervent admirers, who harbored deep hostility towards Chen Nan. Many of them were already prepared for battle and ready to strike if necessary.
Chen Nan looked at Dongfang Fenghuang, whose face was filled with murderous intent, and said, "Isn't this a bit too ruthless? We don't need to fight to the death, do we?"
Dongfang Fenghuang raised the purple jade magic wand in her hand and said, "You shameless scoundrel, today it's either you or me, it's either you or me."
Chen Nan touched his nose and said, "Then it's better to have me or not."
Dongfang Fenghuang said to the crowd outside the arena, "You all heard that, right? This scoundrel is ready to gamble with his own life. Don't blame me if I kill him then."
Chen Nan said, "Death is the greatest punishment for me, but it's not for you, so your wager will be changed. If you lose to me, you will have to be my maid for a month."
These words caused an uproar among the onlookers, who were utterly astonished by his request. Dongfang Fenghuang was a magical prodigy, considered by some to be one of the academy's six most beautiful women; to make such a demand of such a gifted young woman was tantamount to killing her.
A chorus of curses erupted from the sidelines, with both men and women expressing extreme resentment towards Chen Nan. Many mages floated into the air, and numerous martial artists gripped their weapons, ready to gang up on Chen Nan at any moment.
Dongfang Fenghuang trembled with rage, pointing her magic wand at him and saying, "I...I will definitely kill you!"
"If you can't kill me, are you really going to become my maid?"
Chen Nan's words not only drove Dongfang Fenghuang almost mad, but even the little princess next to her kept clenching her fists. She remembered the "maid training plan" that Chen Nan had been pushing on her not long ago, which made her feel ashamed and angry.
Dongfang Fenghuang said hatefully, "You're dreaming! Die!" She waved her magic wand and chanted a spell. A large number of gleaming ice spikes whistled towards Chen Nan.
Chen Nan dared not be careless at all. He punched hard with his right fist, and a burst of blazing golden light appeared in front of him. The ice cone shattered and finally turned into billowing white mist and dissipated in the air.
He took a step back and said, "Wait a minute, what exactly is your bet?"
At this moment, Dongfang Fenghuang was furious and said angrily, "As long as you have the ability to beat me, I'll bet on anything."
Chen Nan laughed heartily and said, "Good." He then addressed the crowd of onlookers, "You all heard that, right? If I defeat Dongfang Fenghuang, she will serve as my maid for a month."
The scene outside was chaotic, with shouts of anger and curses filling the air.
Eastern Phoenix used her Wind Flight Technique to quickly fly into the air. At this moment, her eyes were almost spitting fire. She gritted her teeth and said, "You scoundrel, die!" She began to chant a spell, and magical elements in the air continuously gathered towards her.
After the vice dean and the old man from the East finished talking about the Holy Dragon, they discussed the competition between the four academies three months later. Just then, a rapid knocking on the door interrupted their conversation.
A girl hurriedly pushed open the door and said, "Dean, something terrible has happened! Senior Sister Dongfang Fenghuang is about to have a life-or-death battle with a scoundrel at the academy gate!"
The old man from the East jumped to his feet and asked urgently, "What happened?"
When the girl saw that Dongfang Fenghuang's grandfather was there, she quickly said, "Teacher Dongfang, you should go quickly. If Senior Sister Fenghuang loses, she will have to be a maid for that scoundrel for a month."
The vice-dean said, "This girl has always been competitive and has a rather fiery temper. Old man Dongfang, you'd better go and take a look, or your granddaughter might really end up as someone's maid."
The old man from the East darted out of the house with a "whoosh," moving at an extreme speed and disappearing in an instant.
When he arrived at the academy gate, hundreds of people had already gathered there, and the scene was bustling with noise.
The Eastern Phoenix hovered in the air, the magical elements around her fluctuating intensely. She had gathered enough magical energy and was about to launch a magical attack on Chen Nan.
The old man from the East quickly pushed his way through the crowd into the center of the arena and shouted loudly at the Eastern Phoenix in the air, "Phoenix, stop now!"
Just as Dongfang Fenghuang was about to wave her magic wand, she suddenly heard the voice of the old man from the east. She looked in the direction of the voice and saw the old man waving at her from below.
"Phoenix, come down quickly."
"No, Grandpa, I must kill this scoundrel today."
The old man from the East said, "Don't you listen to your grandfather? Come down quickly, your grandfather has something to tell you."
Dongfang Fenghuang was filled with rage and hated Chen Nan intensely. After hearing the old man's words, she hesitated for a moment. She knew that if things continued like this, her grandfather would definitely stop her from continuing the duel.
"Grandpa, don't worry about me. This scoundrel is awful, I..."
The old man from the East interrupted her, saying, "Come down quickly, or Grandpa will really get angry."
Dongfang Fenghuang glared fiercely at Chen Nan, and finally fell helplessly to the ground.
The old man from the East walked over and said to the dozen or so girls who had come with Dongfang Fenghuang, "You take her back first."
"No, Grandpa, I don't want to go back."
The dozen or so girls were all friends of Dongfang Fenghuang. They looked at Dongfang Fenghuang, then at Old Man Dongfang, and hesitated for a moment.
The old man from the East waved to two girls in the distance, and the two girls quickly walked over. Both of them were martial artists, and each had a long sword hanging at their waist.
"You two, take her away from me."
These two girls were direct disciples of Elder Dongfang, so they were quite familiar with Dongfang Fenghuang. They quickly approached her, and one of them said, "I'm sorry, Fenghuang, you should listen to Master Dongfang and go back first." The two girls then supported her on either side and walked her off the field.
"Let me go! I'm going to kill that scoundrel! Grandpa, please make them let me go..." Dongfang Fenghuang struggled incessantly, but as a magician, her strength was no match for the two martial artists.
Looking at the old man in the distance, Chen Nan silently offered him his strongest "greetings." At the same time, he knew that the old man had surely added another "debt" to his record, and he might suffer even more in the future.
Chen Nan looked at the struggling Eastern Phoenix not far away, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips. However, the Eastern Phoenix happened to catch it as she turned her head, which made the enraged Phoenix woman go completely berserk.
"Ah...you scoundrel..." she quickly chanted a string of incantations.
The two female warriors supporting her suddenly found their bodies becoming as heavy as mountains, making it impossible for them to move an inch. This was a new type of magic that Dongfang Fenghuang had recently learned, a gravity spell that could multiply the force of gravity experienced by the target, making movement difficult.
Dongfang Fenghuang quickly broke free from the two women and was about to rush towards Chen Nan, but was swiftly blocked by the old man Dongfang.
"Phoenix, are you no longer listening to me?"
"Grandpa, I..."
The old man from the East said, "You are really no match for him now. The reason I am stopping you is for your own good. When you are strong enough to defeat him, I will not stop you."
Dongfang Fenghuang's face was filled with resentment and grievance. Finally, in a fit of rage, she drew a long sword from the waist of a female warrior beside her, brandished it, and shouted at Chen Nan, "You scoundrel, I'll kill you sooner or later!"
The onlookers were stunned. A magician was actually brandishing a longsword and angrily rebuking the enemy. One can imagine how furious she was!
Okay, I admit I'm evil, constantly tormenting the protagonist and everyone else's spirits. (Actually, I didn't, just whispering...) Uh, the unlucky protagonist has one or two more chapters of bad luck, then his luck turns around. He gets dramatically pushed away by a woman, then goes to the ancient immortal ruins to find a woman from ten thousand years ago, and then his incarnation, defying the heavens with the Seven Demon Blades, cleaves through a fifth-tier peerless expert... Uh, never mind. Anyway, the parody ends in a few more chapters, then it'll get serious.